Planter mechanism



June 29, 1937.

H. G. ERICKSON PLANTER MECHANISM Filed Oct. l, 1955 2 Sheets-Sheet 1ATTORNEY June 29, 1937. H, G, ERlCKSON i 2,085,354

PLANTER MECHANI SM ATTORNEY Patented -,lune 29, i937 UNH@ STATES attestiPATENT @FFQE 1 Claim.

This invention relates to seed dropping mechanism for planters of thecheck row type o-perating under the control of the usual check row wireand has for the primary ob-ject the 5 provision of a device of thischaracter which will be eicient and accurate in operation and will beself-cleaning of any foreign matter which may have a tendency tointerfere with or clog the seed depositing ele-ment or the seedconducting tube leading thereto, said tube affording a support for theseed operating element and shoe.

With these and other objects in view, this' invention consists incertain novel features of construction, combination and arrangement ofparts to be hereinafter more fully described and claimed.

For a complete understanding of my invention, reference is to be had tothe following description and accompanying drawings, in

which Figure 1 is a fragmentary rear elevation illustrating a seeddropping mechanism constructed in accordance with my invention.

Figure 2 is a sectional View taken on the line 2 2 of Figure l.

Figure 3 is a horizontal sectional view taken on the line 3 3 of Figure2.

Figure 4 is a detail sectional view taken on the line l-. of Figure 2.

Referring in detail to the drawings, the numeral I indicates a seedhopper which may be readily adapted to a planter frame 2, as shown inFigures l and 2 of the drawings, being secured to said frame by bolts orlike fasteners 3. A hinged cover is provided for the hopper and thebottom thereof is provided with a discharge neck 5. A metering disc 6secured to a shaft 'I is journaled to the bottom of the hopper.

40 The metering disc 5 has openings 8 adapted to move into and out ofregistration with the discharge neck 5 for the purpose of depositing anumber of seeds in the discharge neck. Partially overlying the meteringdisc 6 is a guard plate 9, the latter being held in place by the shaft lextending therethrough. The upper face of the guard plate 9 slopes forthe purpose of directing seed onto the metering disc and into theopening thereof. The bottom of the hopper closes the opening 8 andprevents passage of seed therethrough until said opening 8 aligns withthe discharge neck A shaft l is journaled tothe frame 2 of the planterand is geared to the shaft l, as shown at l i. Any suitable means isemployed for connecting the shaft l to one of the traction wheels of theplanter so as to impart rotation to the metering disc 5 by the movementof the planter.

A seed conducting tube l2 is` detachably secured to the neck 5 anddepends therefrom. The 5 lower end of the tube l2 is in the form of abracket I3 extending forwardly and rearwardly of the discharge openingill of the tube. A shoe I5 is secured to the forward portion of thebracket I3 and extends forwardly and rear- 10 Wardly of the tube I2. Theforward end of the shoe I5 is connected to the frame of the planter by abrace I6. The rear portion of the bracket I3 forms a journal for a shafti? to which is secured a disclike seed depositing element i8 l5pro-vided with a seed pocket i9 adapted to move into and out ofcommunication with the discharge opening lil of the tube i2 by theoscillation of said seed depositing element E3.

A guard plate or shoe 2i] is pivoted to the tube I2, as shown at 2l, andis also yieldably connected to the shoe, as shown at 22. rIhe yieldableconnection 22 is in the form of a bolt secured to the tube i2 andextending through an aperture in the guard plate or shoe 2G and 25 hasthreaded thereon nuts. A spring 23 is mounted on the bolt 22 between thenuts and the shoe or guard plate 26 and the latter projects below thedischarge opening I4 of the tube in advance of the seed depositingelement i3 and 30 is slightly spaced from the periphery thereof. Theguard plate or shoe 2Q cooperates with the discharge end of the tube I2in closing the pocket I9 of the seed depositing element i8 until thelatter turns or moves beyond the lower end of the guard plate or shoewhence the pocket becomes open permitting the seeds therein to bedeposited into the furrow formed by the shoe I5. Should foreign matterpass through the tube I2 into the pocket I9 and have a tendency to clogor interfere with the operation of the seed depositing element i8, theshoe or guard plate 2B will yield and permit such foreign matter to passfrom the pocket when the depositing element I8 turns downwardly from theposition sho-wn in full lines in Figure 2 to the position shown indotted lines in said gure.

Secured to the planter frame at one side of the hopper is a conventionaltype of wire follower orI guide 24 and Figure 2 shows the guide 50operating in conjunction with a check row wire 25, the latter havingknots 26 for the purpose of operating a forked member 2l' of anoperating mechanism 28. Said mechanism is for the purpose of imparting aturning movement to 55 the seed depositing element I8 in one directionWhen the forked element 21 engages with a knot of the Wire 25. The seeddepositing element I8 is returned to full line position in Figure 1 orturned in an opposite directionv from that provided by the mechanism 28by a coil spring 29.

The mechanism 28 consists of a crank 39 journaled on a shaft 3l suitablysupported to the frame of the planter and one end of the crank has theforked element 2l connected thereto, While the opposite end of the crank38 has' a link 32 pivoted thereto.V The link 32 is pivoted eccentricallyto the seed depositing element I8, as shown at 33. An extension 34 isformed on the pivoted end 33 of the link 32 and is adapted to act as astop for limiting the movement of the seed depositing element l 8 beyondthe dotted line position` shown in Figure 2 by the extension contactingthe periphery of the seed depositing element this; being indicated bydo-tted lines in Figure 2.

Having described the invention, I claim:

A seed dropping mechanism comprising a hopper having an outlet, a tubeconnected in said outlet and having a .discharge end, a bracket formedon the discharge end of the tube, a disclike seed depositing elementjournaled to the bracket and having a pocket, a guard pivotally andyieldably connected to the tube and associated with the discharge endthereof and with the seed depositing element, a link eocentricallypivote-d to the seed depositing element and having one end bent to forma stopl adapted to contact the periphery of the seed depositing elementfor limiting the movement of said seed depositing element in onedirection, spring means connected to said link for moving the seeddepositing element in one direction, and a check row wire operatedmechanism connected to the link for moving the seed depositing elementin an opposite direction.

HENRICK G. ERICKSON.

